smiser



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. SMISER.

BIER.

No. 590,282. 4 Patented Sept. 21,1897.

(No Model.) '2 Sheetg-Sheet 2.

JRW. SMISER.

BIB-R.

N0.590,2s2. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

' UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JAMES W. SHISER, OF OYNTHIANA, KENTUCKY.

BIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,282, datedSeptember 21, 1897. Application filed September 11,1895. Serial No.562,205. (no model.)

To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. SHISER, a resident of Cynthiana, in thecounty of Harrison and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Biers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in combined biers andcooling-boards, the object being to provide a simple appliance which canbe easily adjusted and manipulated to accommodate the height of theperson to be embalmed and to suit the embalmer; and it consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, whichwill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the device in itsnormal position. Fig. 2 shows it folded, and Fig. 3 shows it elongated.Fig. 4 shows the end attachment; Fig. 5, the brace and supportconnection, and Fig. 6 the grooves in which the parts of the platformslide.

A represents the top of the device. This is made extensible toaccommodate diiferent corpses, and the parts are fitted together andslide after the manner in which the parts of an ordinary extension-tableslide in and out. This top may be covered with cane and fitted with ahead-rest and any other appliances suitable for the use to which thedevice is to be placed. The top is mounted on suitable truck-wheels 2 2and 3. A shaft 4 is supported in the hubs of wheels 2 2, and this shaftis connected to the top by means of the U-shaped yoke and thebrace-arms'ti 6. This yoke is hinged to the top by means of a pair ofstraps 7 7, and the brace-arms 6 6 are provided with holes at theirupper ends to receive thumb-screws 8 8, by which they are attachedto thetop of the device, and to provide for folding these arms back out of theway when the bier is folded together, as in Fig. 2, they are made in twosections hinged together, as shown at 10 10. A caster-wheel 3 is alsoprovided and utilized when the parts are in the position shown inFig. 1. This is connected with the lower end of the arms .1l'11,-whichare hinged to the top by means .of straps 12 12, and a brace-arm 13,similar to those previously described, (6 6,) is adapted to be connectedwith the caster-wheel and the top by means of thumb-screw 17 to hold theWheel braced in position.

When the device is elongated, as shown in Fig. 8, another set ofextensible supports 14 14 is brought into play. These supports arehinged to the top by straps 8 8, (shown in Fig. 2,) and, the braces 1515, pivotally connected to the top at one end, have sleeves 16 16,pivotally connected to their outer ends, and these sleeves slide on thesupports 14 14 as they are folded or adjusted. The length of thesupports 14 14 is regulated by setscrews 20 20, and the sleeves 16 16are held inplace on these supports by means of setscrews 21 21. By thismeans the inclination of the top may be regulated to suit the embalmer.

In addition to the parts described a curtain rest or support may beused. This consists of a frame 22 22, hinged at each end of the bier,and grooves 23 23 are provided to receive these frames when they arefolded.

It is evident that light changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts described without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish'to limitmyself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In a bier, the combination with a top comprising two sections havingsliding connection with each other whereby it may be shortened orlengthened, and two pairs of trucks connected with one of thesesections, of a support having a sliding adjustable connection with theother section, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bier, the combination with a top comprising two sections havingsliding adjustable connection with each other, and trucks connected withone of these sections, of -an extensible support having a pivotaladjustable connection with the other section, substantially as setforth.

In a bier, the combination with a top comprising sections having slidingconnection With each other whereby it may be lengthened and shortened,of two trucks of different heights connected with one section andconstructed to fold thereunder, it comprising the hinged yokes 5 and 11and jointed braces- 6 and 13, an extensible support hinged to the othersection, and a brace having sliding con- J. G. MONTGOMERY, E. V. SMIZER.

